VIRGINIA BEACH -- It was one of those very off days for Virginia Wesleyan College pitchers.

Four Marlin hurlers gave up a combined five walks and hit Christopher Newport University batters six times with pitches on a cold day at Marlins Field, where the visiting Captains posted a 10-1 non-conference victory.

The Captains (17-1), ranked No. 14 nationally, combined the free bases with 13 hits to break open a 3-1 game in the final four innings, outscoring the Marlins (7-9) 7-0.

CNU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, helped by four hits, including a lead-off double by Steve Lindemuth (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock). 

Virginia Wesleyan came back in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 2-1, when Steve Jones (Virginia Beach/Lake Taylor) hit into a grounder that scored Josh Miller (Norfolk, Va./Chesapeake Greenbrier Christian).  Miller started the inning with a double to left field.

But, hits eluded the Marlins from that point on, as VWC was held hitless through the next three innings.  Myles Shipp (Virginia Beach/First Colonial) and Shayne Paskanik (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) both singled in the sixth, but the Marlins did not connect again until the bottom of the ninth when Mike McCutcheon (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creeek) led off with a single.

Jake Newton (DeRuyter, N.Y./DeRuyter) started on the mound for the Marlins and worked four innings.  He struck out one, walked five, and gave up five hits and one earned run.  He dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

Bryan Bierlein (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) took the win for CNU, pitching through seven innings.  He struck out three, walked five and gave up five hits and one earned run.  Richard Lindsay pitched in the final two innings for CNU.

Miller led a six-hit CNU offense with two hits.  Shannon Mark (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock), and Lindemuth had three hits each for the Captains.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Sunday, Mar. 13, in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader against Bridgewater College beginning at 11 a.m.

--AMDG--